The Enigma : Andre Roberson

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Casual NBA fans might not even know who Andre Roberson is. In short, he is the Thunder's defensive specialist. He chases the likes of James Harden, Stephen Curry and other NBA elites on the defensive end so that Russell Westbrook doesn't have to. He very well might be the premier perimeter defender in the NBA. Okay fine, that's Kawhi's title, but Roberson is a close second.

As good as Roberson is defensively, he is that bad on the offensive end. When he shoots, I want to shield my eyes. There's just as high of a probability that he will hit the side of the backboard on his next attempt as there is that the ball will actually go through the net. It is befuddling that a player so offensively incompetent gets the playing time that he does on a legitimate playoff team, but then you see his hustle and ferocity on defense and you are reminded as to why he is on the court. You take the good with the bad, but at what point does his offensive ineptitude outweigh his defensive prowess? Clearly the Thunder sense his value as they have ridden Roberson hard in the playoffs. He is playing 36 minutes per game over the Thunder's first three playoff games. Now this may be because the Thunder have very few other options. But perhaps, Roberson is a heady player who always finds himself in the right position.

The 25-year-old is set to be a free agent this summer. I have seen him pegged to get somewhere between $80-$90 million over the course of four years. Now I know the NBA is handing out lucrative contracts like they're candy, but I cannot wrap my mind around this one. Yes, his defense is superb, but his jumper looks more like an Olympian pushing a shot-put then an NBA player stroking it from deep. The results would confirm my observations as he shot just 24% from three-point land and an abysmal 42% from the free throw line this season. Simply put, I wouldn't pay Roberson anywhere in the neighborhood of $90 million. Or even $60 million for that case, but someone will. And that team will end up being disappointed because while he may hold James Harden to 36 points instead of 44, his team is essentially playing 4 on 5 when they have the ball. He is a non-threat offensively and opposing teams treat him as such.